Steam-turbine.



PATENTED MAY 2,1905.

T. J. MASTERS.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 9. 1904.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m w w W M 5 PM m m 7 NW A mm 5 .\..Q \h\ PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

T. J. MASTERS.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1904.

PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

T. J. MASTERS. STEAM TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9. 1904.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FIG-4.

//v lam me Jjzomcw flfasier;

,4 rm/rmsm PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

T. J. MASTERS.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9; 1904.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

I VIT/VESSES PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

T. J. MASTERS.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1904.

5'SHBETS-SHEET 5. V

UNITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

STEAM-TURBINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,925, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed January 9, 1904. Serial No. 188,404.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs J AMES MASTERS, colliery proprietor, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 29 St. Marys street, Cardiff, in the county of Glamorgan, England, have invented an Improved Steam-Turbine or Rotary Engine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a compound reversible steam-turbine or rotary engine designed to utilize both the impact or momentum and also the expansive force of the steam in such manner as to avoid back pressure and economize power in a high degree, the improved turbine or rotary engine being provided also with means whereby the speed and direction of running may be controlled more eificiently than has heretofore been possible in engines of the same general type.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the compound reversible steam-turbine or rotaryengine. Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a face view of the inner wall of the cylinder-cover at the steaminlet end, and Fig. 4: is a horizontal section of the same cylinder-cover. Fig. 5 is a face view of one of the piston-disks. Fig. 6 is a face View of one of the steam-ported partitions, Fig. 7 being a section of the same on line 7 7, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a face view of another of the steam-ported partitions, Fig. 9 being a section of the same on line 9 9, Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a sectional view of one series of steam-ports and vanes, the section being taken at the pitch-circle of each and developed in the flat. different scales.

The same reference-numerals denote the same parts in all the figures.

The improved turbine or rotary engine comprises a plurality of piston-disks (in the example illustrated five are shown) fast upon an axial shaft 1 and mounted to rotate within a cylindrical casing 2, the piston-disks 3, 4:, 5, 5*, and 5 being spaced apart with intervening stationary steam-ported partitions 6, 7, 7, and 7, the piston-disks fitting steam- The various figures are drawn to tight in the casing and between the partitions. The shaft 1 is journaled in steam-tight bearings 8 9 in the ends or covers of the easing 2, which is preferably in halves secured together at the horizontal axial plane, as are also the stationary partitions.

Each piston-disk has two concentric annu lar series of apertures 10 and 11 for the passage of the steam, the apertures in each series being separated by radial vanes disposed angularly to the plane of the disk. The angle thus made by the vanes is reversed in the two series 12 and 13, respectively, so that the direction of rotation of the piston-disks and shaft may be reversed by diverting the supply of steam from the one to the other series of apertures 10 or 11, as hereinafter described.

The cover, 14 at the inlet end of the casing 2 is steam-ported, like the partitions, the cover 14 and each of the partitions having two concentric annular series of steam-ports 15 16, corresponding (as regards their respective distances from the common axis) to the two concentric series of apertures 10 11 in the piston-disks, the form and direction of the steamports in each series being such that the steam issuing from the ports 15 or 16 will be caused to impinge upon the blades or vanes 12 or 13 of the piston -disks in a direction approximately normal to the acting faces of the vanes, which are so shaped as to permit the steam after impact to pass easily into the apertures of the corresponding series of steam-ports 15 or 16 in the next following partition.

The thickness of the piston-disks 3 4 5, &c., increases for successive disks, so as to accommodate the expansion of the steam as it passes from the inlet to the exhaust end of the engine. The thickness of successive stationary partitions 6 7, &c. may be increased similarly or the steam-passages 15 16 therein increased in size or capacity for the same purpose, and the number of vanes 12 and 13in successive disks may be diminished in order to contribute to the same result.

The relative pitch, number, and form or inclination of the vanes and ports are such that (a) during the period of steam admission to a vane 12 or 13 of the first disk 3 the steam so admitted will find a free passage through all the ports 15 or 16 and piston-disk apertures 10 or 11 to the exhaust, that (b) the steam will act upon the corresponding-vanes 12 or 13 of successive piston-disks in the same manner and during approximately the same proportionate part of the complete period of revolution, and that (0) the steam after being (by the rotation of the piston-disks) cut off from direct impact upon any vane of a disk will be permitted to act expansively upon the immediately succeeding vane of the next piston, the effect of the arrangement being that the action of the steam upon the vanes alternately by impact and by expansion will be continuous on all the vanes of either series 12 or 13 throughout the engine. It is further to be noted that by varying the relative pitch or number or both the pitch and the number of the ports 15 16 and vanes 12 13 and the angular width of the apertures 10 11, separating the vanes, the results above mentioned, also the ratio of expansion in successive disks and throughout the engine and, moreover, the amount of back pressure allowed, (if any,) may be varied to any extent that may be found desirable, so that much greater economy in steam consumption and a much higher ratio of efficiency can be secured than has heretofore been found possible with steam-engines of the turbine type. r

The cover 14 at the steam-inlet end of the casing 2 has two separate concentric annular chambers 17 18, separated by an annular partition 19 and adapted to supply steam to the two concentric series of steam-ports 15 16 in the inner Wall 20 of the cover, respectively, these annular chambers 17 18 being connected by branch pipes 21 22, leading from a common point of origin on the main steam-pipe 23. At this point there is provided a threeway valve 24, by means of which the steam may be instantly directed to the one or to the other branch pipe 21 or 22, and thus to the one or to the other concentric chamber 17 or 18 and series of ports 15 or 16 in the cover, as may be required for the purpose of reversing the direction of running of the engine.

In order that when the supply of steam is reduced for the purpose of reducing the speed of the engine the steam which is allowed to pass through the cover-ports may be maintained at full pressure and without wiredrawing or diminution of pressure taking place between the stop-valve and the cover-' ports, means are provided whereby the full steam-pressure may be constantly maintained in that annular chamber 17 or 18 Which is in use for the time being, so that the steam will be permitted to act at full pressure upon the vanes to which it has access in the first piston-disk 3. For this purpose a valve-ring or apertured annular plate 25 may be fitted to work against the outer face of the inner wall '20 of the cover 14 concentrically and in immediate contact with each series of steamports 15 16 in the cover, suitablegearing being provided whereby to partially rotate the ring 25 relatively to the ports, so as to cause certain of the ports to be masked or rendered inoperative, a lesser or a greater number of ports being thus masked, as required, according to the extent to which the valve-ring is rotated. In the drawings such a ring is illustrated as applied to the outer series, 15, of ports, and assuming, for example, that the total number of cover-ports in the series is twenty-four, as shown, the valve-ring would preferably be provided with twelve segmental slot-holes, six longer, 26, and six shorter, 27, registering with the ports 15 and separated by bridge-pieces, whereof, likewise, six would be longer in angular measurement, as at 28, and six shorter, as at 29. In the normal position of the valve-ring 25 all the ports 15 are open, while by rotating the ring to a certain extent, as shown in Fig. 3, the longer bridgepieces 28 will be caused to mask or close six of the twenty-four ports, leaving eighteen ports in action. By further rotating the ring 25 the shorter bridge-pieces 29 will be caused to mask or close other six ports, leaving only twelve ports (or one-half the total number) in action, the longer bridge-pieces 28 continu ing, notwithstanding the further movement of the valve-ring to mask the six ports first covered. Thus two practically instantaneous movements the steam-supply may be reduced to three-fourths and one-half, respectively, without alteration of the pressure at those ports still remainingopen.

It will be obvious that by suitably varying the number of ports in the wall of the cover and the number and angular length and position of the slots and intermediate bridge-pieces in the ring 25 the steam-supplymight be graduated in any required ratio.

The inner wall 20 may be separate from the outer or main portion of the cover 14, as shown, and be held in place by its marginal flange 30, being bolted between the flanges 31 32 of the cover and of the casing 2. The valve-ring 25 is preferably of channeled form in cross-section, as shown, and may be held to its seat'on the inner wall 20 of the cover 14 by any suitable means-such, for example, as the engagement with one of the side flanges 33 of the ring of an inwardly projecting flange 34 on the cover 14. For the purpose of rotating the valve-ring 25, as before described, a stud 35, fixed in the ring, may be coupled by a link 36 to an arm 37, fast on a spindle 38, journaled in and passing out through a stuffing-box 39 in the cover 14. A lever 40, fast on the outer end of the spindle 38, enables the latter to be rotated to the required extent when necessary, the positionof this lever being determined, preferably, by a spring-pressed latch-bolt 41, carried by the lever and adapted to engage one or other of notches 42 in a fixed quadrant 43 in the wellknown manner.

In place of the valve-ring or apertured annular plate justdescribed certain of the cover steam ports may be furnished with valves adapted to be closed or opened, as required, singly or in groups by suitable gearing from outside the casing, or the two systems of control may be combined in the same engine, as shown in the drawings, wherein certain of the inner series 16 of the cover-ports are shown as provided with screw-down valves 44, controlled by hand-wheels 45 on the valve-spindles 46, which pass out through stufiing-boxes 47 in the cover 14.

The cover 48 of the casing at the exhaust end of the engine forms the outer wall of a chamber 49 open to both of the concentric series of apertures 10 and 11 in the last piston- -disk, so that the steam issuing from the latter shall meet with no obstruction. With the same end in view the exhaust-pipe is preferably of Y form, as shown, the two branches 50 51 being jointed to corresponding openings in the end cover 48, both the branches 50 51 and the main exhaust-pipe 52,into which they discharge, being made of relatively large diameter to obviate back pressure.

According to the preferred construction the piston-disks are held apart by distance-collars 53 and with the collars are prevented from turning relatively to the shaft 1 by means of a key or feather 54, the entire series of disks and collars being held tightly against a shoulder 55 on the shaft by a nut 56 screwing upon a threaded part of the shaft. The two concentric series of apertures 10 and 11 in each piston-disk are separated by an annular division-rib 57, and the outer series 10 of the ap ertures is bounded by the continuous annular periphery 58 of the disk. Owing to the fact that a free course through the ports and pistondisk apertures is afforded to the steam as the latter passes through the engine while the ports are open, it is generally found to be unnecessary to provide special steam-tight packing rings or strips (although such may be used,

as shown, for example, in connection with the annular division-ribs 57 just described) between the faces and peripheries of the pistondisks and collars, and the partitions, inletcover, and easing of the engine, it being as a rule sufficient to make a good working fit between the various parts which move over or in contact with one another.

. by a steam-tight cap 61, fixed to the cover 14,

the first partition.

next following piston-disk. last partition 7 the form of the steam-ports so as to inclose the corresponding end 62 of the shaft, while the opposite end 63 of the shaft, where the steam-pressure within the easing and around the bearing is relatively low, is utilized for the transmission of power. In the case more especially of larger engines the bearings 8 9 may be provided with stuffingboxes to prevent the escape of steam.

The partitions are preferably circular and formed each with a peripheral rib or flange 64, fitting in an annular groove 65 in the casing 2, this rib on the lower half of each partition having laterally-projecting joggles 66 at its extremities engaging in corresponding recesses in the casing, so as to prevent rotation of the partition. The radial joint between the upper and lower halves of each partition is formed, preferably, by means of a mutually-engagingtongue and groove on the respective halves, as indicated at 67.

The steam-ports 15 16 in the inner wall 20 of the cover may be in the form of nozzles circular in cross-section, as indicated, those in the first and last partitions 6 and 7 (as in the case illustrated) being preferably of the forms shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and in Figs. 8 and 9, re-

spectively, the capacity of the steam-passages in the last being greater than that of those in On reference to the drawings it will be observed that the form of the steam passages and ports 15 16 in the first partition 6 approximates to the form of those in the inner wall 20 of the cover-that is to say, the passages are nozzle-shaped, being somewhat contracted toward their delivery ends, so as to cause a strong and concentrated jet of steam to be directed upon the vanes of the In the case of the 15 16 approximates (particularly in face view) rather to the form of the steam-apertures 10 11 in the piston-disks, so as to provide a space of the largest possible proportionate capacity for the steam in passing through the ports.

In the case of an engine having more than five piston-disks the steam passages and ports in the additional intermediate partitions would be of forms and capacities grad uated progressively from the form shown in connection with the first partition to that shown in connection with the last, the centers of the delivery-orifices being always situated in the case of the ports of any one series at the same radial distance from the axis of the engine for the corresponding ports 15 or 16 in all the parti tionsthat is to say, upon the pitch-line w m or y y, as in the example illustrated. Also, as in that example, the aperture at the admission end of each steam-port would preferably be of the same depth radially as and of Slightly less width circumferentially than the corresponding steam-aperture in the preceding piston-disk; but it is to be understood that the relative proportions of these dimensions and forms may be varied in accordance with the conditions imposed by the requirements which the engine is designed to meet.

In order to prevent the possibility of steam admitted to act upon the one series of vanes gaining admission (by leakage between the juxtaposed faces of the piston-disks and of the cover and stationary partitions) to the other series of vanes,whereby reverse rotation of the engine is produced, there may be provided packing-rings 68 received in annular grooves in the faces of the inner wall 20 of the inlet-cover and of the partitions at such radial distance from the axis of the engine as to contact with the annular division-rib 57, separating in each piston-disk the steam-apertures 10 from the steam-apertures 11. Each packing-ring 68 may be forced outward by any suitable means so as to make rubbing contact throughout its whole circumference with the juxtaposed face of the corresponding division-rib 57. Thus, for example, in the case of each of the partitions helical springs 69, maintained in compression by their ends abutting against the rings'68 at opposite sides of the partition, may be received in holes connecting at intervals the annular grooves at opposite faces of the partition, as shown. Instead of the packing-rings 68 being received in grooves in the cover-wall 20 and in the stationary partitions they might be in similar grooves in the faces of the division-ribs 57 of the rotary disks, as will be readily understood.

Where reversal of the direction of rotation is not required, the inclination of both series of ports 15 and 16 and of both series of vanes 12 and 13 may be' the same, and the power developed may in such case be varied by admitting steam to the one or to the other series or to both series of ports and vanes. Further, in such cases the number of concentric annular series of ports and vanes may be increased beyond two, or there might be only a single annular series of ports in the cover and partitions and a corresponding single annular series of vanes in the piston-disks. In any of these cases wherein the engine is made non-reversing reversal may obviously be ob tained by connecting to the shaft a second engine adapted to run in a direction the opposite to that of the first.

I claim-- 1. A steam-turbine engine consisting essentially of a cylindrical casing; a rotary. shaft mounted axially therein; disks fast on said shaft at intervals apart; through steam-passages disposed annularly in each disk and inclined obliquely to the plane of the disk in the same direction throughout all the disks, the capacity of said passages increasing progressively in successive disks in accordance approximately with the increase in volume of the steam as it expands in its passage through the engine; a cover-plate at the steam-inlet end of the casing, in close juxtaposition to the outer face of the first disk of the series,

the outer face of said cover-plate being exposed to the. pressure of the steam-supply; partitions fixed in the casing between and in close juxtaposition to the several disks; and through steam-passages disposed annularly in said cover-plate and partitions, in communication with and inclined oppositely to the steam-passages in the disks, the passages in the cover-plate having their exits contracted and those in the partition nearest the exhaust end of the engine having their exits approximating in form and dimensions to their entrances, while the passages in the remaining partitions are of forms and dimensions graduated progressively between those limits, substantially as specified.

2. A reversible steam-turbine engine consisting essentially of a cylindrical casing; a rotary shaft mounted axially therein; disks fast on said shaft at intervals apart; two concentric annular series of through steam-passages in each disk inclined obliquely to the plane of the disk, the inclinations of the passages of a series being in the same direction throughout all the disks, and the passages of the outer and inner series being inclined oppositely to one another, while the capacity of the passages of both series increases progressively in successive disks in accordance approximately with the increase in volume of the steam as it expands in its passage through the engine; a cover -plate at the steam-inlet end of the casing, in close juxtaposition to the outer face of the first disk, the outer face of said cover-plate being exposed to the pressure of the steam-supply; partitions fixed in the casing between and in close juxtaposition to i the several disks; two concentrlc annular series of through steam-passages in said coverplate and partitions, in communication respectively with the two annular serles of steampassages in thedisks and respectively inclined oppositely thereto, the passages in the coverplate having their exits contracted and those in the partition nearest the exhaust end of the engine having their exits approximating in form and dimensions to their entrances, while the passages inthe remaining partitions are of forms and dimensions graduated progressively between those limits; and means for closing the steam-passages of either series alternatively in the cover-plate, substantially as specified.

3. In a steam-turbine engine of the kind specified, the combination with an annular se- I ries of equidistant through steam-passages in the cover-plate at the steam-inlet end of the engine, of a valve-ring fitted to rotate in its own plane in contact with said cover-plate and provided with an annular series of segmental through-apertures varying in size and alternately arranged, said apertures belng adapted to register with the passages in the coverplate, the angular lengths of said segmental apertures and of the intervening solid por-f tions of the valve-ring between the apertures being such that-all the steam-passages will normally be left open and that by relatively small angular movements of the ring in one direction the number of the open steampassages will be progressively reduced, the steam-passages left open being always disposed singly or in groups at regularly-recurring intervals throughout the entire annular series of passages, substantially as specified.

4:. In a steam-engine of the kind specified, the combination with the annularly-chambered cover at the inlet end of the cylinder, said cover having a series of ports in its inner wall, of a valve-ring fitted to rotate against the outer face of the inner wall of the cover over the ports therein, said valve-ring being provided with segmental ports varying in size and alternately arranged and alternately varying in distance apart, the ports of the ring being one-half in number to those of the cover, whereby some of the ports may be wholly closed while others are left entirely open.

5. In a steam-turbine engine of the kind specified, the combination with a plurality of rotary disks fast on an axial shaft at intervals apart and having each annular series of steamapertures, those of each series being separated by radial vanes disposed angular] y to the plane of the disk, of a plurality of stationary partitions intermediate of the rotary disks and provided with annular series of steam-ports inclined oppositely to the respectively corresponding series of vanes and having their entrances of form and dimensions approximating to those of the steam-apertures in the rotary disks, the ports in the partition next the steam-supply end of theengine having their exits contracted, while those in the partition next the exhaust end have their exits approximating in form and dimensions to their entrances.

THOMAS JAMES MASTERS. Witnesses:

(J. G. CLARK, T. W. KENNARD. 

